Clay
Pronounced K L EY1 (ARPABET)
- 1 syllable
- Peaked 1960
- 145 years in use
- 1 spelling
How popular is Clay?
Clay is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 41,540 children — the 533rd most common boys' name on record.
It is gaining, with the past decade running 63% ahead of the one before it. Its best single year was 1960, when 914 children were given it.
Klay is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Clay and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Klay
Characteristics
- 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- K L EY1
- Stress pattern:
- 1
- Syllables:
- 1
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Clay
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Clay
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Clay?
- Clay ranks 533rd among boys' names in US records, with 41,540 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 4,973.
- Is Clay a unisex name?
- No. Clay is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Clay most popular?
- 1960, when 914 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- How else is Clay spelled?
- Klay. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.